Government foot-dragging on mosque massacre: HRW

Moreover, New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused the Fourth Army Area and the Internal Security Operation Command (Isoc) of misleading the investigation by blaming the insurgents or suggesting that the massacre, which resulted inthe death of 10 and injured 12 others while they were praying inside the mosque, was local dispute in spite of the fact that the police have implicated a pro-government militia.

According to HRW, a police investigation found that gunmen from pro-government militia units carried out the attack at Al-Furquan mosque, killing 10 ethnic Malay Muslims and wounding 12 others. It took two months for Narathiwat police to issue an arrest warrant for Suthirak Khongsuwan, whom they believe led the attack, HRW said in a statement released Wednesday.

The failure to arrest and prosecute those responsible for the Al-Furquan mosque massacre has made Abhisit's promises about justice ring hollow," said Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "This fuels suspicions in the Muslim community that the gunmen are untouchable."

Suthirak, a former member of the paramilitary rangers has also been implicated in many killings of ethnic Malay Muslims in southern border provinces over the past two years.

Police said the other gunmen included members of the Aor Ror Bor (army-trained Township Defense Volunteers) in Narathiwat province. Police say that they have been unable to locate Suthirak or any of the other suspects.

On related note, the Abhisit government has made no development in the criminal prosecution of soldiers from the army's 39thTaskforce, who allegedly tortured and murdered Imam Yapa Kaseng in Narathiwat's Rue Soh district on March 21, 2008.

Frustrations among the local Malay population is running high, said HRW, pointing to the the decision in February by the Office of Attorney General not to press charges against soldiers and police officers implicated in killings at the Krue Se mosque on April 28, 2004.

HRW also pointed to a ruling by the Songkhla provincial court ruled on May 29 that Thai security forces were not responsible for the deaths of 78 ethnic Malay Muslim protesters in Tak Bai on October 25, 2004.

According to HRW, government sources in the nascent political dialogue between Thai authorities and exiled leaders of insurgent Malay Muslim groups said that the lack of progress on justice issues despite Abhisit's promises make it very difficult for them to push peace efforts forward.

Abhisit is famous for saying the right things," Pearson said. "But it is now time for action, not words, if he really wants to improve situation in the south."